Government support for infrastructure funding ahead of the next big residential development between the Hibiscus Coast & Kumeu is recognition that Auckland Council doesn’t have the capacity to provide the works immediately, for recovery over the longer term.

Image above: Housing developed over the last 5 years below the Millwater Parkway.

Through the immigration explosion of the last 5 years, the council’s debt has risen to be a wafer short of its limit, although the same issues of infrastructure funding have been staring politicians in the face for 2 decades.

The last government chose major roads as its best option for infrastructure funding, and watched on as former mayor Len Brown told Wellington the Auckland council would go it alone in starting the city rail link. The Government later joined in, to become a full partner.

Offroad transport is the greatest apparent need to defuse the congestion steadily bringing Auckland to a more widespread standstill, at all times of the day. But, as the net inflow of migrants into the region remains above 30,000/year, a change in how subdivision preliminary works are funded was equally imperative.

3-way partnership, outlay recouped through targeted rates

Housing & Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford.

The answer from Housing & Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford came on Wednesday, when he & Auckland mayor Phil Goff announced a 3-way partnership to fund $91 million of roading & wastewater infrastructure to support the building of 9000 homes at Wainui, immediately west of the Millwater subdivision rapidly being built out between Silverdale, Orewa & State Highway 1 40km north-east of downtown Auckland.

Along with the council & Government entity Crown Infrastructure Partners Ltd, the Government special purpose vehicle (SPV) will have Fulton Hogan Land Development Ltd as the third partner.

Mr Twyford said the Milldale project (an extension beyond Millwater, which began in 2007 with Fulton Hogan as one of the partners) “demonstrates an approach to funding that allows private investment in new infrastructure, with the debt sitting on a balance sheet that is neither the council’s nor the Government’s.

“The Milldale project is an example of the innovative new approaches to financing infrastructure that the Government is developing through the urban growth agenda. This funding model can be used in other high growth areas affected by the housing crisis to help more houses to be built more quickly.

“This could include private investment in infrastructure, funded by a charge on the properties that benefit from the infrastructure.

“This new infrastructure funding model will result in a large number of homes being built much sooner than otherwise would have been the case.

“One of the major roadblocks to our towns & cities growing is the lack of ready access to finance for the infrastructure that allows for new urban growth, for greenfields or brownfields developments.”

Mr Goff said addressing the shortage & unaffordability of houses was a priority: “We’ve zoned much more land for housing, but we need the infrastructure before we can build on it. Using Crown Infrastructure Partners to fund that infrastructure enables us to build roads, water & wastewater services without overburdening the council with debt and exceeding our debt:revenue ratio.

“We can build more homes sooner and tackle the housing crisis quicker than would otherwise have been possible.

“This project enables nearly 4000 new dwellings in Milldale, and the infrastructure can support another 5000 dwellings in the surrounding areas as well. It’s a big step towards meeting Auckland’s housing needs.”

Fulton Hogan Land Development has already started work on Milldale.

Crown Infrastructure Partners has secured long-term fixed-rate debt from the Accident Compensation Corp, and the special purpose vehicle will provide $48.9 million towards the infrastructure, with the Crown contributing less than $4 million.

The council contribution will total $33.5 million.

The SPV funding will be repaid over time, partly by Fulton Hogan Land Development and partly by section owners as an ‘infrastructure payment’ collected as a targeted rate through council rates bills.

Mr Twyford said: “This new model of infrastructure financing means that long-term debt can be raised through the SPV to enable the building of largescale infrastructure, which is needed to step up the rate houses are being built at, and to assist councils which are nearing their debt limits.

“The Milldale development will be a modern, contained urban development with green spaces & parks, a town centre, cycleways & walkways, and potentially education facilities, and will be connected to the northern busway.

The infrastructure includes a new arterial road & bridge connecting Wainui Rd to the State Highway 1 interchange & Dairy Flat Highway at Silverdale, intersection upgrades, a roading extension & bridge to the Highgate Parkway business precinct on the eastern side of the motorway, and wastewater tunnels.

Construction of the wastewater tunnel has started, and the first residential sections will be released in the early new year.

Bayleys commercial agents on the North Shore have sold a fully tenanted Mairangi Bay site (pictured) which has consent for apartment development, and a Rosedale industrial unit, and have signed 5 leases around the Shore and one for a Karangahape Rd shop.

Sales

North-east

Mairangi Bay

368 Beach Rd:Features: 836m² site, 644.77m² mixed use building, 6 tenancies, local centre-zoned site has conent for an apartment developmentRent: $210,314/year net + gstOutcome: sold in October for $4.175 million + gst at $4994/m² land, 4.9% yield with current small vacancy, 5% fully tenantedAgents: Michael Nees & Dean Gilbert-Smith

Published 25 October 2018, updated 29 October 2018:
5 of the 14 properties were sold at Bayleys’ Total Property commercial auction on Wednesday and 5 attracted no bid.

At the agency’s Tauranga auction, all 3 properties were sold under the hammer.

Update: One property has been sold post-auction – a takeaway outlet in the Wairau Junction retail centre. The outcomes for 2 of the Auckland properties were transposed – for Ellerslie & Blockhouse Bay – and have been corrected below.

1110 Great North Rd, unit D:Features: 345m², town centre fruit & vegetable shop + parking, leased to PTC Fresh NZ for 5 years from December 2016 with 2 5-year rights of renewalRent: $108,312/year net + gstOutcome: sold for $1.55 million at a 6.99% yieldAgents: Nicolas Ching, Quinn Ngo & James Chan

350 Pt Chevalier Rd:Features: 696m² site zoned business – neighbourhood centre, housed greengrocery for over 50 yearsOutcome: sold with vacant possession for $1.87 million at a land value of $2686/m²Agents: John Procter, Alan Elliott & Cameron Melhuish

66 Koromiko St:Features: 2536m² industrial site, 1519m² standalone building comprising 1123m² of warehouse & workshop space, 4 large roller doors; the balance 2 levels of offices, showroom, storage & amenities; tenant Paramount Stainless has recently renewed for the next 3 years with one final right of renewal to 2024Rent: $122,000/year net + gstOutcome: sold for $1.8 million at a 6.78% yieldAgent: Graeme Coleman

Tauranga:

199, 207 & 213 Cameron Rd:Features: 2192m² redevelopment site zoned city centre, allowing 19m² building height, next to central fire station on main arterial, car dealers have operated from site since the early 1970s, 2 tenancies expiring in August 2020Rent: $190,715/year net + gstOutcome: sold for $6.25 million + gst at a 3.05% yield, land value $2851/m²Agents: Lloyd Davidson & Laura Taylor

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